The Living Legend
by nooneimportant2
Summary: Retelling of FE7 FE6 with plenty of changes and a deeper storyline that extends beyond just the canon of the 2 games. Rated for some violence. Knowledge of FE7 and FE6 is suggested but not required. This is the FE7 part of my planned story
1. Prologue: A Girl From the Plains

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the FE's in any way shape or form and if I did: I wouldn't be writing this, All I own is my OC/OC's translation: Mark…or at least my version of him. I also give credit to my fellow FE fans and the other writers for the inspiration even if this specific one was my idea so thanks guys, you rule and Nintendo: You made a bunch of awesome games

A/N: Alright since this is the first chapter I suppose it's only fair I say why I'm making it. Put simply I've read many retellings of FE7 with some variations and virtually none of FE6 when I find both to have very good storylines so I decided I'd make an FE6 one…the problem though is that to even GET there I have to go through FE7 to explain my angle on it so that's where I am: Starting at FE7 and ending at FE6 to you know put some back story in there because both are canon to each other. Of course there are plenty of FE7 stories out there so some of this goes with it but don't accuse me of plagiarizing because to be honest: I've only read one FE7 retelling which I personally think was pretty good but I'm sure others probably used him for inspiration too so this might you know…collide with other writers. However I'm not writing this word-by-word on the in-game dialogue or the writings of other authors

BTW: Obviously there are going to be a lot of pairings…some of which will not be to some people's likings while some others may still like them but sorry, hate to break it to you but if you don't like them there will be no changes if you absolutely hate the whole dang story for them, don't read it but honestly only a few pairings will actually affect the story although I'll change the character endings a bit because this is mostly based off of story events not on the actual romance in the story. Also like I mentioned before: The tactician will have more of a role and will not be a helpless little wimp

Anyway onto the actual story sorry about that so let me know what you think and don't worry, the other A/N's wont usually be this long all the time

* * *

Prologue: A Girl From the Plains

_Elibe…Here Man and Dragon once coexisted in a peace forged by wisdom…but that all changed when mankind erupted. To combat the dragons, mankind needed something to help fight back and turned to crafting the strongest weapons on the continent. Soon dragonkind disappeared through the Dark Portal and mankind began to rebuild. But the mysterious benefactor of humanity, the craftsman whom had built the divine weapons, had disappeared and simply left a letter to his newfound comrades warning that humanity's problems weren't over…and that the Scouring wouldn't end war for humanity. His words were prophetic; now man fights man to this day not knowing that each battle only weakens themselves and strengthens another, new enemy to humankind and dragonkind alike. Change is on the horizon…but will it be swift enough?_

On the plains of Sacae stood walked a single man clad in a bulky, green cloak that covered him head to toe reminiscent of that of a traveler. He would likely pass for any man with a shoulder-high walking staff for protection from a distance but upon closer inspection: One would see that he looked young, possibly about 16 to 18 years of age at least in appearance, he was a head taller and about a third wider than most men clearly from muscle, the jagged scar on the left side of his face, and finally one would notice the blood-red eyes and jet-black hair with streaks of silvery blue mixed in an equal ratio with the black. Another was that he seemed to be leaning on the staff quite a bit and it was chained to his wrist…

The man sighed. He'd been traveling around the continent aimlessly trying to do…something to change the situation of Elibe but the fact of the matter was: Unless some sort of…stimulus happened…nothing was going to change. The only time Elibe had been truly peaceful was before the Scouring…His dream was to live to see something like that happen but, in addition to not being any nearer to his goal from when he began, he had run into a few problems. He felt some sort of…disturbance…it felt like something or…someone close to him was in danger. From Ilia he immediately headed south towards Lycia: The source of what he felt, it had disappeared by now but still…

Suddenly, so close to the mountains bordering Sacae and Lycia: He collapsed

He wasn't even close to his long-term goal but he was so close to his short-term goal to find the disturbance. Unfortunately…

The man reached for his chest and groaned. A few days ago he'd been in a village to get some food and water for his journey. Interestingly the food and water only made him hungrier and thirstier and he began feeling weaker until he'd finished it all in 2 days when he'd meant to last it for at least 10. He expected he'd still stay relatively strong for at least a few days while he foraged and hunted but he'd been getting more ill each day and only now he realized that whatever it was he'd eaten and drunk was poisoned.

He was mystified. Normally he would have easily detected most poisons and, should he ingest or inject them, he could usually shrug off the effects. He was no arch sage but he was at least a bit adept enough in magic to be able to protect himself and also to indirectly fight. His conclusion: The water and food had to have been chemically mixed with the water and the bread down to a molecular level rather than just physically mixed; that way HE wouldn't have detected the poison and his body would have registered it as just plain water and bread and would have proceeded to digest it and spread the nutrition through his body. It was genius but since it was difficult to accomplish such a thing: Sorcery had to be involved

That led him to one conclusion as to who would do such a thing…but that didn't matter, his health was in rapid decline and he didn't have any antitoxins and there was no one in sight. He gave himself about an hour give or take

The man closed his eyes ready for his fate. However it seemed fate wasn't planning to give up on him just yet…

A woman, also about 18 years of age, had seen the man's plight and had rushed over too late to stop him from collapsing. She wasn't exactly a healer but based on the fact there were no breaks along his clothing or skin and that he was clutching at his chest: She concluded the man had to be either exhausted or poisoned, maybe both. There was no way for her to be able to carry him away and technically it was almost sunset and this spot was a decent place to spend the night anyway so she prepared an antitoxin and set up her tent around the fallen man

The next day…

The man woke up feeling a bit dazed and groaned when he realized that he actually felt…much better. He took a brief groggy look around and saw the inside of a tent, the bedroll he was on, a lamp, and a fire pit…

"_Huh…oh well nothing to suspicious_", the man thought before trying to sleep again, "_Wait…tent…bedroll…lamp…fire pit? What in the world?_"

"Are you awake?", asked a female voice

Immediately the man sprang up thinking he would be under attack and scanned the inside of the tent. He then noticed that one: He was still in his traveling robes and none of his possessions moved. Two: It looked like he'd been rolled onto a bedroll and the tent was made around his unconscious body due to the apparent dent in the grass nearby, and Three: The one who had spoken was in fact a young woman who looked to be about 18 years of age

The woman had soft blue eyes, long green that was tied down her back, wore a blue-tunic skirt with the tunic part opened likely for easy movement. Her skin was tan from time in the sun yet not burned and her clothing looked to be made from felt

"Jumpy aren't you?", she asked when she saw the man's reaction trying to stifle a giggle, "My name is Lyn of the Lorca Tribe. Who are you? Could you tell me your name?"

The man paused for a moment and took a quick look. She didn't look like anyone to harm him so he figured he might as well tell her, after all: What was the problem with telling someone one's name?

He was about to answer when he coughed and tasted something that tasted both bitter and sweet at the same time that nearly made him retch

"Sorry about that. I know how antitoxins taste so here drink this", the woman said handing the man a glass of water which he drank and removed the foul taste from his mouth thankfully

"Thanks for that", sighed the man when he was finished, "And to answer your question: My name is Mark"

Lyn raised her eyebrow for a fraction of a second before returning to her normal expression

"That's a bit of an unusual name but don't worry it is still a good name", Lyn commented

Mark shrugged and refocused

"Anyway Lyn…I appreciate what you did back there. You saved my life", thanked Mark

Lyn just waved her hand modestly

"You're welcome and don't worry it was nothing", she replied equally modestly before frowning a bit, "Still…what exactly did you eat or drink? I had to use quite a bit of antitoxin to get you to recover and even now I think you're still not fully recovered"

"Some food and water from a shady man at a trading center near the border", said Mark, "I didn't have much choice since I was kinda…broke…so I had to buy from him and I have suspicions as to who that guy worked for. Sorry for being an idiot and causing you so much trouble"

"Don't worry about it", replied Lyn

"Thanks…anyway where are we exactly?", asked Mark looking up briefly

"Well we're a few hours trek from the Bern Mountains and about two days from Bulgar if that's any help", answered Lyn, "I can see by your attire that you're a traveler likely not from around here. What brings you to the Sacae Plains? Would you share your story with me?"

Mark hesitated for a moment trying to think of a harmless yet believable white lie to avoid having to make a long story when he was saved by a bit of movement outside the tent that he and Lyn both noticed simultaneously followed by a scream

"That doesn't sound good", said Mark placing the cup down

"I agree", agreed Lyn reaching over to a long, thin object which Mark noticed to be a sheathed katana, "Wait here. I'll go see what it is"

Lyn opened the tent flap and immediately a pair of burly men armed with shipped, rusty, dull axes broke in

"Haha! Jackpot!", shouted one of the men as he and his comrade rushed towards Lyn not noticing Mark still lying on the bedroll

Lyn quickly unsheathed her blade and managed to slash one across the neck killing him instantly and causing him to fall outside the tent but the other managed to grab her by the throat and the sudden movement made her drop her blade

"Heheh, too bad for him but I guess I've got the spoils to myself", laughed the man grinning evilly at Lyn's attempts to struggle, "You oughta sell for a pretty penny somewhere in say…Bern or maybe Ilia heheheh"

That was all Mark needed to know that he needed to take action. The attackers hadn't noticed him so he leapt up instinctively. Although it felt a bit awkward to wake up and get up still wearing his heavy pack and with his heavy robes on overnight Mark was thankful Lyn hadn't taken any of his possessions or well…undressed him and that his staff was right next to him and still chained to his wrist

"Hey idiot!", shouted Mark getting to his feet

The distraction worked: The attacker turned and Mark took a step forward with his left foot and he struck the attacker with a strong kick to the chest with his right foot knocking him to the ground. While he struggled to get up Mark was already looming over him with his staff in hand and, after a moment of feeling pity for the poor man, slammed the end of his staff into the attacker's head piercing through his entire head and killing him instantly

"Are you alright?", Mark asked Lyn holding the corpse down with one foot while pulling his staff out with his hands

Lyn nodded. She wasn't badly hurt and was in fact more fascinated by the fact Mark had actually beaten an enemy with a walking staff like it was a sharp weapon but opted not to mention it

"Besides those two I caught a quick glimpse at what looks like probably 3 more of them including the leader", said Lyn, "Based on their attire and the way they act I'd say they're bandits from the Bern mountains. They're probably planning to raid the local villages, I have to stop them"

Lyn grabbed her sword and buckled it to her waist

"Since you just recovered I say it's probably safer if you stay here Mark", said Lyn opening the tent flap again

Mark shook his head

"You saved my life and I owe you but even though you're clearly capably of fighting off one of them; If all 3 attack you at the same time I think you'll need some help", said Mark, "Besides: even if you hadn't saved my life and I were still traveling: I still can't let them attack helpless villagers"

"Well you're not too bad of a fighter", observed Lyn, "But you just recovered from poisoning so…"

"Listen", said Mark, "Even if you don't want me to directly fight I can still help: My trade consists of finding weaknesses and strengths, calculating different chances, and forming strategies"

"So you're a battle strategist?", asked Lyn to which Mark nodded, "It's a bit odd of a profession but I guess I could still use your help. Just be careful. Those daggers will clearly help if you get someone by surprise but you'll have to get close to them to be able to counter their axes and well…you"

"I know poisoning", said Mark, "But trust me: I'm made of sterner stuff than I might first appear…as for the other issue don't worry about it for now, I've always got a few tricks up my sleeve"

Without much more word Lyn and Mark exited the tent. About 50 meters away there was a pair of bandits standing over a freshly killed corpse which was likely the source of the scream. A bit farther away a bigger bandit who was taller and bigger than his comrades and was about Mark's height but probably bigger. He was armed with a more polished axe stood over a pile of other corpses in front of a ger hut likely the residents he slaughtered

"Looks like that guy came from the ger over there", said Mark referencing the corpse, "Those other bodies must be his family"

Both Lyn and Mark cursed under their breaths. Pillaging and plundering was bad enough but murder was just horrible. Put simply: These bandits were going to pay for what they did

"Would you hurry up you idiots!", the leader shouted, "Actually why don't you do something useful and find Bert and Finn!"

"Hmm…okay they're pretty big and possibly tough but those axes are barely sharp and even if you get it it'll probably just be a blunt object hitting you", whispered Mark to Lyn, "To actually inflict damage you'd have to swing pretty hard and gain a lot of momentum so avoiding their attacks should be pretty easy since their swings will likely be wild and uncontrolled. It's best if we take them out together so we won't have to worry about getting hit by them anyway"

Lyn nodded

"Good idea", commented Lyn, "I'll take the one on the right and you the one on the left. On 3 we make a break for it-"

"No. I assume you're a fast sprinter and usually so am I", interrupted Mark getting a bit of a confused look from Lyn, "But even though I'm a fast sprinter I'm not a fast runner so that means I can only sprint quickly in bursts. With all this heavy stuff on I wouldn't be able to keep up with you at all

"Then what do we do?", asked Lyn

"Know any good insults guaranteed to make someone angry?", asked Mark

"Huh?"

"In battle it's a good idea to keep a cool head all the time. If you're angry you will attack harder and faster but you'll be more reckless and will lose all finesse and probably go down quickly from an attack you didn't see and could have easily seen and avoided if you were calmer", explained Mark, "So translation: We get these guys angry, they charge up to us, we avoid them, and we hit them in the back"

"Makes sense", said Lyn before blushing a bit, "But…well…you see I really can't flat-out insult someone so-"

"I got it", said Mark stepping forward and taking a deep breath while Lyn just blinked, "Hey Guys!", he called out the bandits

Immediately the pair of bandits looked up in confusion

"Do you by any chance have licenses for being that ugly?", Mark called out, "I mean you can't be that ugly unless you have a one"

The bandits puffed up

"Hey! What you say?", both shouted at the same time

"Yeah! Say how did you guys get that ugly?", continued Mark, "I mean what'd you guys do? Fall out of the ugly tree and hit every branch for about 5 hours or something?"

Now the bandits were fuming and Lyn raised an eyebrow at Mark before focusing

"Where did you learn those?", she asked

"I don't know I just improvised them", said Mark shrugging, "Hey you guys here that! The lady here says that she has to go puke before she faints because of how ugly you are!"

That got them. The bandits charged angrily and Lyn and Mark were ready

When they got within 6 feet Mark made a motion that seemed like he was "stabbing" with his staff which the bandit attacking him easily parried and attempted to swing with his axe in return but his attack in mid-parry ended up going completely wide and ended with him falling to the ground off balance. Lyn meanwhile ducked under the bandit's clumsy horizontal swing and returned with a slash across his chest that cut deep into his internal organs killing him in seconds. Lyn turned around to see Mark impale the other bandit like he did with the first one he'd fought: By impaling the head via staff

"Like I said", said Mark pulling his staff out of the body, "Stay calm and focused in battle if you plan to survive"

The leader of the bandits roared in rage

"YOU KILLED MY MEN!", the bandit shouted, "Bert! Finn! Get over here!"

"We actually took care of 2 guys before your buddies here", said Mark

The leader puffed up as well just like his men

"Calling them idiots would be an insult to stupid people all around but you'll find me to be more of a challenge than those fellers!", the leader shouted beating his chest with his left hand, "I am Batta the Beast! Cower before me whelps!"

While Batta had been giving his speech Mark and Lyn were actually in conversation over something else and hadn't been paying attention to him

"HEY! Pay attention!", shouted Batta

"…Say…how is it you don't have a sore throat from all that yelling?", asked Mark absently

Batta's face turned red

"OKAY THAT'S IT YOU'RE GOING DOWN!"

Batta lunged forward with incredible speed and slammed his axe into the ground between Lyn and Mark scattering them. Lyn swung her sword but was too far away and at too poor of an angle to land a killing blow so she slashed across his back instead. The wound wasn't deep but it was long and Batta roared in anger then swung his axe at Lyn who nimbly ducked under and attempted to stab again. Batta wasn't an idiot like his buddies and rather than try to stop, he used his extra momentum to continue a second swing to parry Lyn's sword before he leapt back

"Haha! Did you really think-"

Batta was interrupted when Mark kicked him in the back so hard the 3 fighters heard something crack. Batta had been so focused on Lyn he hadn't noticed he'd been actually getting closer to Mark and, while it didn't break his spine, Mark's kick had broken several ribs missing the spine by a mere inch. However Batta STILL wouldn't go down and swung again forcing Mark to make a hasty dive which turned into a roll which he stopped when he was next to Lyn. Batta roared again and swung at Lyn which she easily dodged but it turned out Batta was expecting this kind of thing and hadn't swung very hard therefore allowing him to twist his axe and swing back at Lyn

Mark, thinking quickly, shoved Lyn down and raised his staff in response. Batta was sure that a mere walking staff wouldn't be able to stand up against his axe and continued his swing and was surprised when, rather than the staff, his AXE was cut in half through the blade despite the fact that HE was the one cutting a blunt walking staff with a sharp axe. Lyn was also a bit surprised but took the opportunity to sprint forward with her sword outstretched and hit Batta so hard, she impaled her whole blade through his chest

"What? How…How did you?", was all Batta could say before he collapsed dead

Mark placed the staff across his back from an extra "pocket" on his robes although he didn't detach the chain

"Like I said: I've always got a few tricks up my sleeve", said Mark stretching his arms out

Lyn raised an eyebrow but said nothing

"Well… we can't leave the bodies out here", said Lyn indicating the bandits and the civilians

Mark nodded and in about 20 minutes of hard work: The bodies had been piled into 2 separate mounds one for the bandits and one for the civilians. Mark surprised Lyn a second time when he carved the symbol of Elimine in front of both mounds, took a deep breath, and, with what appeared to simply be a punch at first, created 2 brief stream of fire from his hands which ignited the bodies and burned them after a few minutes with the fire putting itself out when it ran out substance to burn

"May Elimine watch over your souls and may you live in peace in the Great Beyond", murmured Mark which surprised Lyn a third time to which he received a scowl, "What's wrong?"

Lyn shook her head

"I understand giving a prayer to the civilians killed but why the bandits?", asked Lyn

Mark looked at Lyn and raised an eyebrow

"Why not?", he asked back, "They might be thugs but they're still living beings, you can't just treat them like dirt…not that I'd disrespect dirt but still"

"They take the lives of many", replied Lyn, "Why should they be respected when they themselves don't give respect"

"No one is perfect", replied Mark, "To be honest. The only time when humanity truly was stable with no plotting or hatred or anger: Was the time before the Scouring. Besides: I have no love for bandits but I still show respect to everyone, even to my enemies. Death should never be taken lightly and life should always be respected regardless of whomever or whatever it is from…besides I know the folk of Sacae are animists who believe in nature. They may hunt but they still don't waste anything ever and pay respect to the spirits of nature…right?"

Lyn's scowl faded a bit but she nodded. After every kill she used everything from that animal to avoid waste and she often left a quick prayer after killing it

"Even though I may respect my enemies, bandits show no mercy or respect to anything at all", she hissed with a bit of anger on the edge of her voice which Mark decided he would talk about later

"Well think about this: The bandits are scum in your mind right?", asked Mark which Lyn nodded to, "Well…have you ever heard the expression: 2 wrongs don't make a right? There are a couple variations of it but I'm sure you know of something like that"

Lyn nodded. Mark was right: She had heard of it as a child…she just never expected it to be applied to this situation but she officially dropped her scowl for good

"Well anyway: Good job Mark lets go home"

Back at Lyn's tent Mark simply took out his own bedroll and slept outside of the tent to avoid the inevitably awkward situation that would come from staying in the tent with Lyn. It would have been better to pitch his own tent quickly but he simply put on his hood and fell asleep right then and there

The next day…

When Mark woke up the sun was already high in the sky. Based on the degree of the sun, Mark estimated it was about 2 and a half hour to noon…much later than he usually woke up

"_I guess that I'm really not back up to speed yet_", Mark mentally sighed when he noticed his joints were sore and how late it was, "_Sometimes I really hate combat_"

Sudden reintroduction to combat after spending much more time traveling, talking, and mastering his trade of strategy wasn't all that easy for Mark's body despite his hard physical and mental conditioning over the years. Adding in the fact that he'd just recovered from relatively strong poisoning, he was actually surprised that the aches he felt were all that he felt so he supposed he should be grateful. Heck if Lyn hadn't saved him 2 days ago, he'd just be another one of the countless poor souls who died alone in pain with no one knowing about it at all…speaking of which…

"Good Morning Mark are you awake?", Mark heard Lyn's voice say a bit to his right

Mark sat up and saw Lyn had already putting out a small campfire she'd just made while holding a pair of plates each with 2 bird eggs Lyn had scavenged nearby, 2 strips of smoked rabbit, a slice of bread, and an apple

"The fight yesterday must have taken a lot out of you and since you didn't eat I figured I might make you some breakfast"

Since Mark hadn't actually had a decent meal in over a week he remembered how famished he was and immediately took the plate with a quick word of thanks with no conversation occurring between the 2 as both ate silently

When they were done and everything cleaned up Lyn decided to break the silence

"So Mark where do you plan to go now?", asked Lyn as both packed up all their belongings

"Hmm…", pondered Mark thinking back to the strange feeling he'd felt which had disappeared a while ago but still felt a bit…ominous

"Well I was planning on heading South to Lycia and maybe take a quick detour to Bulgar since I'm a bit low on supplies but…well…I'm not all that sure anymore since the trip caused me a bit of trouble and Bern is the only way to Lycia but lately they haven't been very…kindly to travelers", explained Mark, "People from Lycia can pretty much forget it since King Desmond of Bern is not on the best terms with the lords of Lycia and most of them view people coming from Sacae as savages…no offence I mean I sure don't"

"None taken", said Lyn turning around and opening her arms as if to grasp the expanse of the plains, "I just wonder why everyone hates us so badly away from these plains. Sure here in Sacae we may occasionally have a small skirmish over small things or band together to fight bandits but outside, everyone seems to hate us so badly from what I've been told"

Mark sighed a bit and sat down and motioned for Lyn to also sit down which she did across the former fire pit from him. Considering how the conversation's topic had changed so quickly, he imagined that this might take a while and there was no point in getting stiff legs

"Well, based on my travels, what you've been told might have been exaggerated a bit but I suppose yes: Some people view the folk of Sacae as barely more than animals", explained Mark, "Personally I say it's just simply the most terrible thing to say to such a proud group but unfortunately some don't think so. The one positive connotation that comes from someone born of Sacae is that they don't lie but a bunch of negative ones come as well"

"Why?", Lyn asked pretty simply

"Why what?", asked Mark back

"Why is it that such negative ideas come from us?", Lyn asked more clearly

"Well…in Sacae the people are mostly nomadic. There are trading centers where people live more regularly and visit as well around but most stick around in clans and families and also move around a lot to find resources and sleep in tents with a few possessions", explained Mark, "Personally I find no problem with that and I have to admit that kind of life is pretty impressive due to its difficulty but there are those who think otherwise. There are people who believe that the only way to make an honest, decent living is to live in a permanent house that is strongly built with many treasures accumulated through work in either a field or elsewhere. Just about every country works around that system here in Elibe and it's viewed as a more advanced society but since Sacae doesn't follow that kind of idea: People have gained the stereotype of lawless savages. Nobles of those countries often hire mercenaries from Sacae due to fighting skill but even though they're paid well and fed well…face it: They're treated like dirt and are barely allowed to show themselves to the civilians. Back when humankind finally took over Elibe the 'heroes' of the Scouring had good ideas about ruling their own nations and they implemented them and respect their former comrades' ideas…unfortunately now the leaders of each country view themselves as superior and so to this point: I've met many whom are racist to not just Sacae but to each other country…that's what really bothers me now…things have just fallen apart since dragon kind was kicked out when back in the days before the Scouring, they were only…what people don't realize is that soon, things will be disastrous if they don't get fixed and what I'm trying to do…is help fix it. I don't know how but I have to at least try"

When Mark realized what he'd just said he face palmed. He really got into the habit of giving long monologues which most people usually weren't interested in…and now in Lyn's eyes he was probably some creepy prophet who never spoke clearly and only ranted…after all, he had the hood, the cloak and robes, the long droning speech, and the staff

"I-I'm sorry Lyn I just had to-", began Mark

Lyn shook her head and smiled

"To be honest that was actually very interesting and I have to admit I enjoyed it", she said

Mark honestly couldn't tell if she meant it or if she was just being kind. Oh well…

"And also…", said Lyn, "Yesterday we had to start fighting the bandits which stopped you from answering my initial question so…"

Mark shrugged. He'd just spoken an incredibly long monologue and probably left Lyn pretty confused so he might as well answer some questions

"Well…as for where I was from as in where I was born…you could say Ilia for now although I've traveled around the continent for years with no real home but I'll say I've visited Ilia a bunch of times…As for what I was doing in the Sacae plains and what brought me here: I was heading to Lycia as I said before but I supposed I'd stop by to have a few words with some acquaintances of mine who happened to live in Sacae and apparently they happened to be from your clan: The Lorca tribe", said Mark

As soon as Mark brought up the Lorca tribe Lyn visibly stiffened and he wondered if he said something sensitive. Then again she was traveling alone when she herself was of the Lorca tribe so…

"Please continue", said Lyn relaxing a bit, "What were you planning to do in Lycia and well…could you explain that?", she asked gesturing at Mark's staff still across his back

"What about them?", asked Mark as he un-slung it from his shoulder

A closer look revealed to Lyn even though it seemed to be made of wood at first there were many engravings and different colors on it. There was absolutely no wood in it

"Well…for one who made that?", asked Lyn, "It actually cut an axe in half across the blade and I just don't understand how it's possible…"

"Well…to be honest I actually this myself", explained Mark surprising Lyn, "It was really not that easy and took me months to gather the materials and come up with the technique so it ultimately took nearly half a year. One other thing is that this isn't wood and you wouldn't believe what it's made of"

"Try me", replied Lyn

Mark shrugged

"Okay: Dragon Teeth shattered and re-stitched together magically"

Lyn blinked. Dragon Teeth? That was definitely something she wasn't expecting but before she asked Mark continued

"As you know, dragons fought humanity years ago but skeletons of dragons were littered all over the continent and hastily buried. It took a while but I found several relatively intact skeletons and had to spend hours chipping off teeth from different dragons to ensure its immunity to damage. After that I had to spend weeks to smash them into fragments and then mix them together and reshape them together into a staff with magic and also protection spells to make it virtually impervious to damage and actually enable me to cut even though it's a blunt object ", said Mark knowing what kind of question would come next, "Yes my magic is different from traditional 'spells' from magic tomes because magic tomes involve focusing energy through another source that can convert that energy into a lethal attack while mine doesn't involve magic tomes and is, in my opinion, much tougher because it basically works the same for attacking except I have to focus, shape, and convert my energy myself. That way it takes more energy to make an attack but alternatively…I managed to make these with 'wards' I created separately with each and every individual molecule of the dragon teeth to make it completely invincible. If I felt like it I could have added more spells to add power to the weapon but the last time I tried that…it had some unexpected side effects…"

To be honest, Lyn thought that being a tactician already involved much intelligence and focus. Yet here was someone who had learned to make invincible weapons and who could use magic without tomes. Of course that was already a lot of information to take in but Mark apparently seemed ready to answer all of Lyn's questions so he continued and Lyn, still interested yet fascinated, listened

"Put simply: I can get out of situations and be pretty stealthy if I have to but you probably wouldn't want me in an army", said Mark, "I'm a better thinker than fighter or mage or whatever so you can do the math there. The only magic I excel at is magically crafting weapons, making wards, and healing injuries while the only weapon I have is my staff here while I only know the basics of the sword, lance, axe, and bow"

That was good enough for Lyn so she didn't bother asking. Now was time for a more pressing question…

"Say Mark I've been thinking lately and I have something to ask you", began Lyn causing Mark to raise an eyebrow at the sudden change in topic

"Sure what is it?", asked Mark

"Well…you clearly have skills in the way of war so I thought I'd ask if I could join you on your journeys", said Lyn no longer shy

That got Mark by surprise. Nobody really asked to accompany him before…especially someone whom he had just met and someone this young

"Well…personally I have no problem with that", began Mark, "But shouldn't you get permission from your parents first? Since you're from the Lorca tribe I'm pretty sure that they trained you to be able to fend for yourself since they train everyone in their tribe in combat but even so I think you may want to go back and-"

Lyn's cheery expression suddenly disappeared and a single tear ran down her cheek

"…_did I hit a sensitive topic?_", wondered Mark a bit concerned, "Umm…Lyn? Are you okay?"

"There's no tribe or…family to even go back to", said Lyn downcast with a deep look of sadness

Lyn closed her eyes, looked down, and really let the tears flow. Apparently Mark DID hit a sensitive topic

"My mother and father…they died six months ago. My people…the Lorca…I'm the only one who survived. The Taliver Bandits attacked and slaughtered us", said Lyn with a mixed expression of sadness and anger, "We didn't stand a chance, they poisoned our drinking water and weakened most of us. When they attacked: Only the strongest could still stand, let alone fight. My father was the chieftain of the tribe and tried to mount a defense…but it was hopeless: We didn't have enough strong fighters left. I wanted to help but I myself could hardly swing my sword at the time", Lyn gripped her sword and gritted her teeth, "My father, already shaken by the loss of my mother, was already pierced with 7 arrows and had numerous other wounds with the poisoning but kept a strong face for me and used the last of his strength to mount me on a horse. He promised he'd be right behind me…but he wasn't…I was found by a group of travelers who helped me and gave me some supplies before I left and since then, I've been wandering around the South of Sacae"

Mark then did something Lyn wasn't expecting. He went to Lyn's side of the pit and put her head on his shoulder letting her cry out every last tear

Chieftain Hassar and Lady Madelyn had helped him once before in Mark's time of need as well once. The story of their deaths definitely affected Mark but they were just acquaintances of his…Lyn on the other hand had just lost her parents…and the rest of her tribe. Even so, Mark had felt the loss of family before as well and clearly understood how Lyn felt…but if Lyn had gone for 6 months without thinking of her family until now he had to admit: She was definitely stronger than he was

"I'm sorry…", said Mark, "I knew Hassar and Madelyn once but never knew they were gone for this long…I also lost my family long ago"

Lyn's crying stopped a bit as she listened

"I had to leave my family…to keep them safe…but I didn't realize that leaving them actually put them in even more danger", said Mark, "There was a bit of a…conflict back then all caused by both manipulation, and a complete misunderstanding. That conflict turned bloody and soon hell broke loose. I left to try and stop the conflict by defeating the one who started it but the mastermind behind this plot…he found out about my knowledge and turned almost all of my friends against me and my family…my mother and father fought as long as they could but they were caught by surprise in our home and died against impossible odds. My best friends, one of whom I found to actually be distantly related to me, were also caught in the conflict. They were married with 2 children but separated in the conflict so my friend and I took his children to a place we believed to be safe while we searched for my family and my friend's wife who was distantly related to me. We found my parents dead in my home and we found my friend's wife nearly dead as well. She told us to make sure her children were safe and to end the madness…unfortunately we were too slow and we told her children to run if we didn't return in a week and we arrived 8 days after we departed and by then: They were gone. My friend and I went our separate ways and I never saw him, nor his children, whom I felt to be like my niece and nephew, ever again. The whole plot was created to make 'you know who I mean' more powerful and the only way to end the conflict was to help one side win…I knew either way, he would win in the end and gain much power so I sided the group whose victory would grant him the least power. I became good friends with them and we won gaining 'you know who' some power but not as much should I have supported my old friends and family…I lost many allies…but gained new ones and delayed my true enemy's advance…at least for a little while"

Once again Mark had gone off the hook…but this time he had left out some important details so it looked like, for now, it was safe…but even though he and Lyn had gotten along quite well so far, he chose not to tell the whole story. However, even though the story was incredibly informative of Mark's past, it was meant to serve a different purpose and it worked: Though Lyn would still likely feel her some time later, it had distracted her from her own sorrow and it looked like she knew it…somewhat

"By the way…that story was meant to distract your own sorrow, not make you feel sorry for me", said Mark a bit unsure how he currently sounded to Lyn, "And to…well…answer your question more in-depth about my story"

Lyn had by now stopped crying completely and was much calmer and, though her eyes showed some pity, she seemed a bit thankful

"Well thank you Mark", said Lyn wiping away a tear on her cheek, "I swore to not cry about it again and I did…but thanks for taking my mind off of it…"

"Just…don't think about it for now", said Mark quickly before Lyn wandered off mentally again stopping her just in time

"Then…thank you I'm better now", said Lyn, "And I will shed no more tears"

Mark nodded his approval and Lyn stood up with Mark

"Mark…I want to become stronger so that I can one day avenge my parents' deaths. That battle yesterday taught me that I'm never going to get stronger just wandering aimlessly and grieving over my loss" said Lyn, "Mark. Will you let me travel with you? That way we can both fight together and get stronger together"

Mark had already thought about it. He wasn't to be underestimated in battle but since he'd just nearly died from lack of situational awareness, he'd need someone to watch his back and he was beginning to think of Lyn as his first friend in years after what they had just done together. Besides: His trade was planning more than attacking and if he was planning to actually REACH his goal, he was going to need help and people like Lyn here would need a plan

"_Well…after the incident with the Djute tribe, Hassar and Madelyn entrusted me to take care of their daughter should anything happen to them…I guess I'd better live up to that promise_", Mark also mentally added to his list, "_Besides…It looks like Madelyn didn't tell Lyn about her heritage or of her other family…She might not like life in Lycia but I guess she has the right to know of her grandfather_"

Mark grinned and held out his right hand

"Of course. It'd be an honor Lyn", said Mark, "_…I guess I'll have to wait to break the news for her…after we get ready for the trip_"

Lyn's face beamed with joy as she ignored Mark's hand and hugged him briefly instead

"That's wonderful! Thank you! Thank you so much!", exclaimed Lyn, "We'll be a great team working together you know it! I'll be your peerless warrior and you'll be my master strategist and comrade-at-arms"

"Then lets go", said Mark gesturing with his head towards the east to Bulgar, "_Looks like this arrangement will work out, I wonder what'll happen next?_"

* * *

Well first chapter is up. Constrictive Criticism is appreciated; flames and trolls are NOT appreciated. Of course updates will be pretty random because I'm working on multiple things but the next chapter should be up pretty soon

Up next is: Footsteps with Fate. Not exactly a very original title but I really don't have much to work with

One last thing: I'm going to issue a little "challenge" to see if people can think of a general ID for Mark. This first chapter already had a few hints without being too specific so some might be able to piece it together already. Anyway whether people are right or not I won't tell until I actually reach the chapter where I "drop the ball" so to speak but I'll acknowledge those who get it right and one little last hint: It's not obvious but it's not ambiguous either


	2. Footsteps with Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own FE in any way, shape, or form…all of that belongs to Nintendo and Intelligent Studios not me

A/N: Alright that last chapter I admit had a rocky start but that's why I asked for constructive criticism so I could, you know, improve on later ones however I probably can't implement too many changes that are story based because I've got it mostly planned out. Someone pointed out the little "challenge" in the reviews section and so did another in a PM so I'll just say that I'm not asking people to do that, it's just a little thing I put at the bottom for fun so it's not all that serious so don't obsess over that please and it's not like it's immediate because I know it's only been one chapter and you should only be able to figure it out after about ¾ of the way into the FE7 part or maybe sooner if you get the subtle hints. It's for those who are attentive during the FE7 portion since the FE6 portion will be influenced a bit by it. Also: I know that Lyn's chapter isn't meant to be part of the main storyline so even though it seems like I'm being a complete idiot, I'm just trying to add a bit of story significance to it because Lyn was a major character in the rest of the plot so once again: Flames are hated, constructive criticism is appreciated

PS: Some may have been confused over the…well…continuity of my story which no one mentioned in reviews but I found about myself after I checked over. You see I had originally planned on making Mark's choice weapon to be a set of daggers but then I found out that some at least one other had tried doing that so I scrapped that idea and tried something different. I wasn't really in the mood to rewrite the whole dang thing so I just checked back briefly and made a few changes but I think I left out a few…my bad so just ignore those little things

PPS: In addition to not doing things exactly like how they turned out in-game, I'm also virtually doing this from memory so if it seems way off of the in-game text, don't get so sore about it

PPPS: I'm not a history nor language expert of the medieval time period, which I think is around the time this takes place, so please don't get so sore on the dialogues either

PPPPS: Yes there were battles in-game and in battle there is a lot of blood and cursing so I put some in because in real life you don't just suddenly phase into nothingness when you get sliced by a sword or something or just shrug off an axe attack that cut into your shoulder. I put in some blood and cursing to add a bit more realism to it so if you don't like it then I'm sorry and let me know and I'll change it later but I'll try to keep it mild

Review Responses:

Gunlord500: Thanks for the compliments but onto your points: I'll admit I wrote this pretty quickly so it probably had some mistakes like that so thanks for pointing that out, I'll fix those.

YourConscienceOnMute: I also don't deny that I also respect your views and appreciate your feedback on these kinds of matters but I guess I should probably remind you that it is the first chapter and who knows; it may get better or may get worse. I will change the writing style to match how it should be but for the moment: Hold your ideas on Mark to judge his character because if you've heard the expression "don't judge a book by its cover", you'll know that the same applies here. Besides: just because Mark is the protagonist, it doesn't mean he has to be the "knight in shining armor atop a white stallion" type of guy or the "rip everything to shreds and dominate the world through fear" kind of guy either. One last thing: yes a hammer causes extreme damage depending on the conditions but a sharp object of the same weight would often cause more internal damage because in addition to the sheer force of the hit doing what you just mentioned, it would also lacerate through tissue and organs. But either way let's not discuss delicate things such as physics right now because the last thing I want is a flame and counter flame war about the exact and precise effects of certain things…that's happened to one of my friends and he was pretty ticked off

patattack: Thanks, I also see you working on a similar type of fanfiction so I wish you luck on that as well.

Reviewer: Well…since most of your suggestions revolved around Mark I will say to just be a bit patient and wait because yes I messed up on trying to make him mysterious but at the time I was wondering how people would react if I made him a total enigma because some would probably ask me for more details while some might go crazy and start flaming. As you've probably noticed it's a bit hard to make something to satisfy both parties. Anyway don't worry he's not going to be overpowered and he still fills the role of a tactician. Just asking: Where did you get the idea of Hector? Mark's not an unstoppable combination of man and metal blended together because sure, he sounded big and tough in this chapter but I don't really see much connection

Past those little notes, enjoy

* * *

Footsteps with Fate

Mark stared at a giant stone structure. It was pretty basic in shape: Just 2 pillars supporting another slab on top except that every rather than be built in front of the huge wall that it seemed to be leaning on, if one looked closely: The whole thing hadn't been carved and placed in front of the wall…the wall had been carved around the structure. Additionally the structure looked like it had taken decades to build with such intricate designs and 9 symbols carved above on the top part.

Mark also looked around and saw he was standing in a room with an incredibly high ceiling that barely encompassed the height of the structure and that the massive room he was in had an intimidating large amount of stairs leading up to it from another hallway built much like it.

He knew that this wasn't a simple dream and it would have some sort of significance sooner or later so he edged closer to the structure. In a way it seemed familiar but he just couldn't tell what about it

Mark then saw the gap within the structure glow a fierce and angry red with flame and lightning bursting from it before there was an intense flash of light and suddenly he was engulfed within it and shielded his face with his hands. Then he realized that it was just bright and not hot since this was a dream, not reality, and then dropped his hands and the sight before him shook him to the core

"Impossible…," gasped Mark

"Not impossible…," said a loud, gravely, and in general, intimidating and evil voice of the damned said, "You knew it would happen one day, all you could do was delay it and not stop it"

"How soon?," asked Mark, "This hasn't happened yet I know that and you're still way too weak to be capable of this so it has to happen soon"

"Depends on how you would view it," said the voice, "To me and perhaps to you, it would be quite soon, to the allies you will meet down the road, not very soon. After years I will return and your efforts will be in vain. You should not have tried to stop me and simply ignored me"

"If I did then the whole world would die," said Mark, "I took my stand and I'll make sure to stop you. And I know you used that man in Ilia as a puppet to try to kill me"

"Then you had best hope and pray since you can see me manifest myself now," said the voice, "I was expecting you might survive the poisoning and all that was, was to show that I would be returning. For now however, enjoy what you can my adversary"

Mark's vision turned white, he guessed he was waking up and sure enough he saw a blue sky above him with some clouds and unlike the frightening atmosphere of before, he felt much calmer and safer.

Mark sat a few seconds before he remembered that he and Lyn had been forced to camp outside of Bulgar's closed gates for the night before moving into the city to get some supplies for their journey…which still didn't really have a destination.

"_Well…let's hope I don't have to break the news for Lyn myself…it's not really my place_,", thought Mark as he packed his things and his tent and strided over to where Lyn was patiently waiting a few meters away holding a pair of apples, one of which she tossed to him.

"Thanks," said Mark catching the apple and taking a bite out of it

"No problem," said Lyn turning back around, "Now come on, we'd best hope we can get things before they are sold out…Bulgar is a very popular trade center for countries all over Elibe being so close to the heart of the continent"

After a few minutes the pair arrived and headed west together for some food and supplies first

As Mark walked around he saw Bulgar hadn't really changed much externally the last time he'd been around but had changed greatly on the inside. It wasn't exactly as big as a castle town one might see in Bern or Lycia but came a bit close in terms of land area. The only permanent structures Mark saw were the outer walls, the cobblestones making the paths, and the keep at the north of the city, everything else was mainly tents set up. The tents were filled with merchants and many travelers exchanging all kinds of different money from every country on the continent but nevertheless: barter was the main form of currency as shown by different trades between different parties and with each person speaking the common language of Elibe and only speaking native languages to some colleagues in their party. It seemed each group policed themselves and there was no absolute law enforcement with everyone armed to make sure there were no swindlers or thieves anywhere around.

After 2 hours Lyn found Mark near the gates of Bulgar at their designated meeting spot seemingly focused on a set of tiny polished stones in his hands who put them away immediately after hearing Lyn call him over

"Got everything?," Lyn asked

"Pretty much…at least for food," said Mark, "Need anything else?"

"I only have a handful of vulneraries and we may need a map", suggested Lyn

"Well as for the map I have-"

Mark was about to voice his own opinion when interrupted by another male voice

"Oh my heart, what a dazzling vision of loveliness," said a particularly nearby male voice

Mark shrugged thinking it was addressed to another when tall brown-haired man wearing dark green, bulky armor on a brown horse and a long, sharp, green lance slung across his back rode up to them with a look that seemed overjoyed like he was being reunited with his long-lost love or something along those lines

"I…think he was talking to you…,", said Mark half amused and half wary while taking a step back from the two

Lyn looked at him a bit puzzled and began to leave also but the man stopped her

"Wait O beauteous one," said the man, "Surely you must be a goddess descended form the heavens to bless this humble knight!"

"…_I wonder how the rest of the knights are compared to this guy_,", thought Mark

"What land might you be from that leaves you to speak so freely to strangers?," asked Lyn politely although Mark could easily tell from her expression that she was pretty annoyed

However the knight obviously either didn't notice or didn't care and continued with his flirting

"Your voice is just as beautiful as your voice," continued the knight, "I hail from the Caelin canton, home to men of passion and fire"

"…_Well…I guess that apparently knightly honor and pride really deteriorated since I last visited Caelin in Lycia_," Mark mentally sighed when he saw Caelin's coat of arms etched on the man's breastplate's chest, "_Lundregen was the general of the army for Caelin, even though he's a swine he should at least know how to train his men better than that…even Hausen knew what he was doing and he wasn't a military man_"

"Shouldn't that be home to 'callow oafs with loose tongues?'," mocked Lyn

"Good one", complimented Mark

The knights seemed unfazed and even more infatuated than before

"Oooohh…you're even lovelier when you're cruel," he almost purred much to Lyn and Mark's confusion, surprise, and, to a degree, disgust

"Come on Mark I've got nothing left to say," said Lyn turning around back towards the north of the city, "Let's just leave him to annoy someone else"

"Agreed," said Mark taking off after Lyn, "_What is with this guy honestly? If he's a knight he shouldn't be like that_"

From the corner of Mark's eye he saw the knight about to follow them when he saw another knight wearing similar armor, although a crimson shade rather than green and with his hair matching his armor color, interrupted the other

Nevertheless, Mark and Lyn walked off to the side of the street to try to find an alternative way out of the city besides the 2 knights while the two knights argued

"Ah Kent! Why so severe an expression?,", asked the green armored knight

"If your manners were more serious, I wouldn't have to be so severe," scolded the red armored knight apparently named Kent, "We still have a mission to complete Sain!"

The knight, who looked to be named Sain, just waved his hand casually

"Relax Kent, it's not like we're in a hurry or anything since the lady is probably just wandering around nearby here or someplace," said Sain, "Why don't you try and have some fun for once?"

"I didn't know that flirting with every single female you could see and continuously getting rejected was 'having fun',", grumbled Kent while shaking his head as if in disbelief, "Don't you ever ask yourself WHY you always get rejected?"

"…It looks like apparently that is the only way we're getting out of here," said Mark pointedly gesturing at Kent and Sain's direction

Lyn just sighed

"Fine," grumbled Lyn, "Let's get it over with and hope the red one has better manners than his comrade"

Mark and Lyn walked up to Sain and Kent. Lyn spoke to Kent only and ignored Sain completely clearly to Sain's annoyance

"Excuse me! You're blocking the road with your horses," said Lyn, "Would you please be so kind to move them out of the way?"

Kent looked at Lyn in the eyes and nodded his head

"Of course. My apologies," said Kent moving his horse slightly back and staring intently at Sain while he did the same

"Thank you. You, at least, seem honorable enough," said Lyn giving a quick, respectful smile to Kent before glaring at Sain which did not go unnoticed by Kent who rolled his eyes at Sain as if he were used to it

Then Kent had an expression as if he had just discovered to solution to the universe's most complicated and difficult problem ever and looked quickly back at Lyn

"Pardon me madam," said Kent, "But…I have the feeling we've met before"

"I beg your pardon?," asked Lyn unsure how to react and wondering if Kent was just as bad as Sain

Mark however wasn't surprised. He knew the Caelin coat of arms and he also knew of Lyn's and Madelyn's heritage…Kent was probably thinking of-

"Hey no fair Kent I saw her first!," Sain protested causing Lyn to glare fiercely at both of them and interrupting Mark's thoughts

"Tsk! Let's go Mark it seems as if there are no decent men among Lycia's knights," hissed Lyn

Without another word Lyn turned and marched past Kent and Sain immediately forcing Mark to catch up

"Wait please it's not," protested Kent as Lyn walked past, "Sain you lout!"

"What?," asked Sain, "You mean not like that? I thought you were-"

"I am NOT you," hissed Kent angrily, "Now come, we have to follow her. I suspect she might be-"

Sain's eyes almost bulged out of his head

"Might be what?", asked Sain incredulously after such a long quest, "She's our mission? Are you joking?"

Kent said nothing and began to follow Mark and Lyn who had already gained a considerable distance outside of the city by this point

"Hey! Wait!", called Sain bolting after Kent

A few minutes later…

"Uh Lyn could you please stop?," asked Mark when he and Lyn were well out of Bulgar and she was still practically marching out

Lyn raised an eyebrow and then realized that she had just stormed out of the city and was well out of it by now

"Sorry," apologized Lyn

Mark just shrugged and took a look back

"Okay…so exactly what was that for?,", he asked

"I wasn't planning on staying back there with those 2 morons," said Lyn rather bluntly

"Okay…But as for the red one…ummm…Kent I believe was his name," began Mark, "I think you probably mistook what he was trying to say"

Lyn just shrugged

"Well either way I just wanted to get as far from Sain as possible," grumbled Lyn

Mark sighed and saw they were about a little more than a quarter of a kilometer from Bulgar at this point and in front of a river…pretty fast for about 2 or 3 minutes…of course then again all sorts of strange things happened around him all the time

"Okay…well I say we head back to Bulgar anyway," suggested Mark, "After all, we forgot to-"

Mark tensed up and his eyes darted from side to side incredibly quickly to Lyn

"Mark? What-"

"Lyn, you might want to get your sword out," suggested Mark who also unslung his staff from his back causing Lyn to do the same

Lyn also listened a bit and found out the same thing as Mark

"It looks like we were pursued from Bulgar…," whispered Lyn, "Do you think it's those 2 from town?"

"No…", said Mark, "Knights, as scandalous as some might be, don't sneak up like this…these men are out for blood"

At that word a rather large ruffian wearing tattered clothes and armed with a huge, polished axe that he held with his right hand emerged from the trees ahead

"You guessed that right chump", laughed the bandit

The bandit slung his axe across his shoulder casually and eyed Lyn

"Heheheh aren't you the pretty one?,", asked the assailant, "Your name is Lyndis is it not?"

Lyn's face turned into extreme shock

"What did you call me?," she gasped, "Who are you?"

The man shook his head and sighed

"Ah the things I'll do for gold," he sighed as if he genuinely didn't enjoy attacking Lyn and Mark, "Ah well time to die darling! Come on boys!"

At that word 10 other bandits emerged. 8 were armed like the apparent leader although 2 had bows as well

"There are too many for me to handle," Lyn half informed and half gulped to Mark

"Hmm…", thought Mark, "Well…maybe if-"

"Hey! There they are!," shouted a familiar male voice

"_What is with me getting interrupted all the time,_" Mark mentally complained as he, Lyn, and the bandits turned to see the pair of knights Lyn and Mark had encountered in Bulgar ride up at full speed with some of the bandits falling back across the river at the sight of the knights

"Whew…finally caught up," sighed the green one before sitting straight up and projecting his voice to all the bandits, "Hold you there! What is your business? Such numbers against one girl? Cowards! All of you!,"

"…_and what is with me being ignored?,_", Mark also mentally wondered, "_Then again the man's a flirt, no surprise he'd make it seem the damsel was in more distress_"

Lyn turned to address the knights

"You! You're from…"

"We can discuss this later,", replied the red one, "It appears that these ruffians mean to do you harm. If it's a fight they want, then let them try themselves against me"

"Stand back! I'll take care of this in half that time," replied the green one

"No! This is my fight!," shot back Lyn, "Stay out of my way!"

"Well I can't just stand here and do nothing…", said the green one

Meanwhile Mark had been observing the bandits' positions while additionally glancing at something in his hands which he quickly put away after a few seconds and turned to the 3 others

"Actually how about we cooperate?," suggested Mark getting their attention, "My trade is strategy in battle. We can work together and beat them easily if we cooperate"

"Fair enough," said the red knight, "We haven't properly introduced ourselves so my name is Kent and this is Sain. We will follow your orders into battle", he said before turning back to Lyn, "Is this acceptably milady?"

"Yes it is," approved Lyn, "My name is Lyn and this is Mark. He will lead! Let's go!"

Mark nodded and drew a rough map on the ground with the end of his staff

"Okay…We stand on the west of that river over there and there are patches of dense forest all around on this side while the other side only has a few," said Mark pointing to the river and the representation of the river, "Most of them fell back to the east of the river but it looks like 2 stayed behind. They have pretty good positions in the trees to repel an attack so caution is vital unless you want an axe sunk into your chest"

Sain nodded

"Right! Mark was it?," asked Sain who received a nod from Mark, "Let me leave a good impression on the beauteous one first! Allow me to land the first strike!"

"…Okay…," said Mark while Kent and Lyn rolled their eyes, "Well the nearest one is over in those trees there but since it's a bit hard to see in I'd recommend-"

Mark was too late when Sain drew his lance and charged wildly into the small set of woods

"Hey what are you doing you fool?," exclaimed Mark

"Sain, you can be such a lout," groaned Kent

Meanwhile…

Sain grinned when he saw the bandit standing before him with his axe ready and stabbed forward with his lance only to be shocked when the bandit tilted his axe slightly to deflect Sain's aggressive attack. Sain was then even more shocked when the bandit leapt up and slashed with his axe at Sain. Sain couldn't reach his lance back in time, the momentum having carried him too forward, and grimaced as the axe sliced into his chest.

Meanwhile…

"Come on! Sain's a dead man in there we have to save him!", shouted Mark as he, Lyn, and Kent all charged together. Kent with his saber drawn, Lyn with her katana, and Mark with his staff

The trio found Sain desperately fighting off the bandit with his bare hands and with a wound across his midsection and the bandit's axe bloody. The bandit clearly had the upper hand against the injured, dismounted Sain and was surprised when Kent rushed past and cut across his arm causing him to drop his axe and was more surprised when Lyn burst from nowhere and impaled her sword through his chest.

"Sain? Are you alright?," asked Mark reaching out a hand and pulling Sain back up to his feet

"Yes…I can still fight", he groaned although he stood up straight anyway and immediately mounted his horse as if trying to prove it, "Although I missed…"

"What were you trying to prove back there?", inquired Mark, "The bandit had cover in the trees and if he's skilled enough: He can parry a lance thrust easily with an axe and the momentum will just leave you defenseless if he manages to block it. Why didn't you use a sword? It has less momentum to it and is easier to bring back up if you miss and additionally it's much harder to block a sword since an axe is much heavier and can't be moved as easily"

"Well…a lance is more heroic! A knight must always look heroic in battle!," said Sain

Kent and Mark looked at each other briefly and shook their heads

"Sain…tell us the real reason: You know from training about the natural advantages and disadvantages certain weapons have over each other," scolded Kent, "I know because you and I trained together!"

Sain twiddled his thumbs momentarily trying to buy some time to think of some excuse but Mark and Kent forced him to talk through their constant glaring

"Truth to be told…I forgot to buy a new one in Bulgar," said Sain before shaking his hands, "But I can manage with a lance! I'm that good!"

Kent sighed

"I'd prefer you rely on your real fighting skill than your empty bragging," he grumbled, "One day you're going to find yourself on the end of another's blade,"

"Kent do you by any chance have a spare or something?," asked Mark, "If not, Sain here is a sitting duck if he keeps charging well-covered opponents with an ill-suited weapon"

"As a matter of fact: I do," said Kent

Kent reached for the pack on the back of his horse and pulled out a sheathed saber nearly identical to his own and handed it to Sain who begrudgingly accepted

"Alright back to business: That's one down and 8 to go including the big guy", said Mark, "We're still out of range for the archers' bows so for now: If we can force the axe fighters over here first, we can charge those archers and take down the leader. But first we have to secure this side and that includes that fellow over there"

Mark pointed out to the remaining bandit and everyone turned just in time to see the second bandit quickly sprint back to the cover of the trees. He'd been trying to fall back to the other bandits across the river and had been spotted and decided that he'd rather hold out in a covered area than a wide open area. Pretty good thinking and probably the best idea possible in his situation

Sain immediately stepped up with his saber drawn and looked like he was ready to charge again when Mark put a hand in front of him and shook his head

"Mark! Give me another chance!," protested Sain

"Well, you're better equipped and you're obviously not a novice fighter," said Mark, "But technically you're still-"

Sain had already charged off after Mark had told him that he was better equipped and not a novice fighter…against orders…again

"Dammit Sain!", shouted Mark while Kent rolled his eyes and Lyn raised an eyebrow

"Does he usually do this?," asked Lyn

"Usually he's a competent fighter…except…," said Kent trailing off a bit

"Except what?," pressed Lyn

"Whenever he is in front of any woman, he feels like he needs to prove his valor in battle and always charges recklessly to prove himself," explained Kent

"Well I'm not impressed," replied Lyn

"I wouldn't expect you to be," grumbled Kent

Meanwhile…

Sain scanned the area more cautiously this time and looked for the bandit in the trees when he saw a glimpse of metal which had to be the bandit's axe. Sain swung his sword in an overhead swing when his arm jarred several times on the way down causing his attack to lose speed and give the bandit ample time to dodge to the side. Sain looked and saw that he had in fact cut through the branches above his head but then focused and quickly pulled his horse's reins and parried the wild cut before wincing from his previous injury. Any other day he could overpower virtually any untrained and undisciplined bandit with his strength but it looked like not today…

Meanwhile…

"Well…reckless idiot or not he's our reckless idiot and so it looks like we'd better save him again," sighed Mark, "Kent, go ahead and back him up, maybe also teach him to fight with his head more since you seem to be the stronger in the head. Lyn: There's another guy up there so I'd say you go ahead, stay in the trees, and ambush him"

Lyn and Kent went to follow their orders while Mark looked across the river and saw the bandits conversing. These guys weren't complete idiots and were likely thinking of some strategy to turn the battle in their favor. Mark just wondered what they were planning before the others' voices interrupted his thoughts.

"You there! You are called Sain correct?," Lyn called as soon as she was done with her duel without a scratch while Kent and Sain finished off the other

"Yes! Sain the gallant man of Caelin that's me!," boasted Sain sitting up straight on his horse again

"If you insist…," said Lyn a bit more patiently than the last time she'd spoken with Sain, "Why is it that you haven't even tried to take care of your wound yet? Even a swig from a vulnerary would probably take care of that"

"Umm…,"

"You've got to be joking," groaned Kent, "You forgot to get yourself some medical supplies in addition to a sword?"

Sain just ignored Kent and continued his conversation with Lyn

"Ah…such a shame to wrinkle your beautiful brow," continued Sain

"Umm…I was considering giving you a vulnerary but I suppose you're fine," finished Lyn

"Speaking of which we need some more anyway," Mark told Lyn finally getting a chance to remind her

"Oh…good point we only have 2…," realized Lyn

"Then if you are so short on such a precious resource I will leave you be!," exclaimed Sain wincing a bit from his injury

Mark shook his head when he saw Sain had nearly been split in half by the axe cleave…he was amazed the man was still conscious let alone alive. Oh well, whether he wanted to prove his "manliness" or not, he was far from his best and he really needed treatment

"Sain cut it out and admit you're injured and not at your best," said Mark before turning to Lyn, "Lyn don't be so stingy and just give it to him. Sain just take it and Kent, get over to the bridge and make sure we're not going to be flanked"

Sain immediately headed towards Lyn and eagerly, although sparingly, drank about a third of the liquid and immediately passed his hand over his midsection to find it perfectly healed

"Ah I thank you," sighed Sain in relief

"You're welcome," said Lyn half pleasantly and half seriously, "What's next Mark?"

"Right now, Sain head south and help Kent secure that bridge, it's a lot wider and he may need help since more of them can attack at once. Lyn head north," commanded Mark which Sain and Lyn proceeded to do

Mark turned and then saw that besides the 2 bandits that Sain and Kent were currently dueling…there was nobody on the other side of the river besides the leader. He ran through the math quickly, they had taken down 3 already and now Sain and Kent were struggling with 2 more making 5 and then there was the leader which made 6…where were the other 5?

Mark then saw Lyn take off across the bridge to the north and realized that he'd been a bit vague about when he told Lyn to head north…she was probably thinking he meant go north and take down the leader, not to secure the northern bridge

"_Well…that's not good,_" Mark mentally cursed as he also saw Kent and Sain notice as well and just like him, they were also noticing the same thing about the missing bandits

"Kent and Sain take care of those 2," said Mark since the two of them hadn't finished off the bandits, "I'll go after Lyn, when you're done come up north and help us out"

Kent and Sain continued to duel the bandits while Mark headed for the north bridge and went after Lyn while Mark ran through various scenarios in his head and came up with different solutions

1 minute later…

Mark caught up to Lyn who simultaneously caught up to the leader of the bandits and was holding him at sword point

"Uh…Lyn I think we may have some trouble…," Mark panted briefly unslinging his staff

"What's wrong?," asked Lyn

At that a smaller bandit armed with an axe burst from the nearby bushes and lunged at Lyn who parried the attack and knocked him to the ground. Lyn raised her sword up to stab him while he was down when another bandit armed with an axe brought down his axe on her blade forcing her to drop it. Lyn turned and ducked a swing at her when she felt something strike her on the back of the head. It wasn't a blow strong enough to knock her unconscious but it still knocked her to the ground and gave her a throbbing headache

"That's what's wrong," said Mark as the 2 archers aimed their bows at his back and a third axeman also approached, "_Okay…scenario number 3 then…not going to be very pleasant but I guess I've got no choice_"

"Drop your damn weaponry kid," snarled the leader

"If I were you, I'd listen to the man," backed up one of the archers while Lyn got up and the axemen on the ground god up and took her sword

"Of course you would, you being his little pea-brained servant following his pea-brained orders," replied Mark

"Watch your fucking mouth," threatened the other archer

"You curse more than me and then you tell me to watch my mouth?," asked Mark although he dropped his staff anyway, "Get yourself some soap or something and clean your mouth instead"

The archers said nothing as one checked Mark's pockets while the other covered. The archer pulled out a small bag and greedily looked inside before his look turned to disgust and he threw the bag away then seemed to smile a bit before he began sweating and pulled out a larger, but still small, leather bag from Mark's cloak pocket with 2 hands as if it were extremely heavy and fragile and tossed it to the leader

"Elimine this thing is heavier than it looks," grumbled the leader when the bandit leader who tried to catch it with one hand and nearly fell off balance, "What the hell is this?"

"Nothing that's yours and anything that isn't," said Mark

"The other bag is just a bunch of little polished crystals or something," said the archer who searched Mark, "And that other bag is some sort of damn heavy crystal I suppose"

"Well anyway got anything else?," asked the leader immediately dropping the bag and whatever was in it and noticing the thud, "Something that isn't so damn heavy?"

"No except some mints and earplugs so I wouldn't lose my hearing and would have something to take my mind off of your foul breath and unnecessary yelling and your men's cursing," replied Mark

The leader nodded his head and one of the axemen also knocked Mark to the ground with a sharp blow to the head although keeping him conscious

"Guess I really annoyed them," grumbled Mark as he and Lyn began to stand back up

"Do yourself a favor. Stay down and shut the hell up," warned the leader as Mark and Lyn began to rise while the others knocked them back down, "You think you're so smart? Well we're not impressed. All you did was outnumber our boys and take them down one at a time and you only got this far because we let you as part of our strategy"

"You called that a strategy? We beat you pretty bad and even though we took them down one by one we still won one versus one battles against you guys," interrupted Mark

"Shut up!," shouted the leader, "As I was saying, we lead you right to where we wanted and now you're surrounded and separated from those accursed knights, just like we planned"

"Guess that explains why your boss hired you, you're so sadistic, sociopathic, and willing to sacrifice those close to you: You remind him so much of himself," said Mark

"You guys gonna let him talk trash about us?," the leader asked the other bandits

"Don't worry Zugu boss we got this," said one of the archers

"Yeah 'Zugu boss' shut the heck up," said Mark standing up and intentionally slurring the bandit leader's name

"I thought I told you to be quiet," hissed the bandit leader apparently named Zugu

"Yeah well I've got bad hearing," replied Mark

Zugu dragged his thumb across his throat and at that the 2 axemen shoved Mark back to the ground and the archers both shot Mark's left leg simultaneously on his shin

"Now you got a bad leg," laughed one of the archers when Mark briefly howled in pain

Mark sat up and, after gritting his teeth, leapt up, grabbed an arrow from his leg, and stabbed the arrow into the smart-mouthed man's left leg as well

"So do you along with a bad eye," hissed Mark tackling the poor archer to the ground and stabbing the man in the eye with the arrow after he yanked it from the man's leg killing him instantly

At first the other bandits weren't so sure of what to do and hesitated before Zugu barked at them to get Mark

"Run! Now!," Mark shouted to Lyn as he ducked under an axe which narrowly missed him and accidentally decapitated the second archer

"But you can't-"

"Just go!," shouted Mark yanking on the chain which he held his staff on and raised it just in time to parry a second axe swing

Lyn hesitated momentarily before she nodded, grabbed her sword from the ground, and sprinted off to find Kent and Sain

Meanwhile…

Kent dodged one last desperate swing from the bandit whom he dueled and stabbed him through his back while the bandit whom Sain dueled simply lunged in an attempt to decapitate Sain and instead got his heart pierced by Sain's saber while in mid-lunge

"Not so fun is it when you're fighting me uninjured and wielding a better weapon?," taunted Sain as he pulled his blade from the bandit's corpse

"Sain…those were your own faults anyways," reminded Kent

"Oh come now!," protested Sain

"Well I have to admit you did better when you started actually trying…," admitted Kent

"See!," exclaimed Sain, "Now where is Mark and his lovely companion Lyn?"

"Here!," called out Lyn's voice just before Kent was about to reprimand Sain for losing his seriousness on the battlefield

"Ah…so you actually believe my intents to be true?," inquired Sain as Lyn arrived

"What?," asked Lyn blinking

"Nevermind we'll explain later," replied Kent as Sain snapped his fingers in frustration and disappointment, "Anyway what is it?"

"Mark is back there fighting off the rest of the bandits all by himself while cornered and injured. We have to go help him," said Lyn regaining her composure

At that Kent and Sain quickly wiped their blades and re-mounted their horses

"Lead the way," said Kent to which Lyn nodded and began sprinting back with Kent and Sain behind on their horses

Meanwhile…

Mark couldn't get in a good attack on the 4 bandits due to his inability to gain proper footing on his injured leg and due to him having to defend himself against attacks that fell in rapid succession not even giving him time to counterattack anyway

Finally Mark tripped with his injured leg and began to fall but not before swinging his staff in a wide ark with the force to smash the skull of the attacking axeman to his right

"Gotcha now," laughed Zugu as Mark managed to prop himself up against a tree, "Any last words punk?"

Mark tilted his head slightly and grinned

"Watch your back," said Mark

"Huh?"

The 3 bandits turned in time for Kent and Sain to gallop past and slice through the pair of axeman to Zugu's left and right while Lyn came in behind them

"Accursed knights always tampering in others' affairs," grumbled Zugu as he prepared to swing at Sain before Mark kicked him in the back with his good leg knocking him off balance and leaving him wide open to Lyn's forward stab

"Blast…there was only…supposed to be a lone…girl…," Zugu managed to choke out before his breath escaped him and he fell dead

"That's the last of them," said Lyn cleaning off her blade and sheathing it while Kent and Sain dismounted, "Are you okay?," she asked as she went to check on Mark

"Yeah…I've felt worse so I'll be fine," grumbled Mark almost ripping the second from his leg and limping over to Zugu's corpse. He grabbed the bag that had been carelessly discarded and took the pouch from the ground next to Zugu's corpse with one hand easily, "I'll take that thank you very much. The last I checked this doesn't belong to you"

"You probably need one of these also," said Lyn handing Mark a vulnerary

"That's fine," said Mark, "I'm alright"

"You just got shot twice in the leg how is that alright?," berated Lyn, "You should be hemorrhaging and also have fractures in your bones since your shin"

"Yeah well I'm fine now," said Mark

"Mark, your leg is covered in blood," pointed out Sain, "Stop being a hypocrite and just take the thing"

"Look don't waste that on me, we're broke and I'm not really injured," said Mark, "Those are invaluable to us now so-"

Kent and Sain grabbed Mark's arms and forced him to hold still while Lyn rolled up the clothes on his left leg and was surprised to see that all there was left of it was a pair of scars

"Like I said, I'm fine" said Mark when Kent and Sain let him go

"How did you-"

"Basic, passive healing I acquired years ago," said Mark, "It makes my body's natural healing rate superior to most people's so things like that really hurt but whenever whatever caused the injury leaves my body, it heals in seconds"

"Then why did you tell me to take a vulnerary when you could just help me out," asked Sain nudging Mark's shoulder in slight annoyance

"Because I haven't mastered healing another person and if I healed something as bad as your injury, I'd probably fall down exhausted like I had heatstroke even though today happens to be a bit moderate in terms of temperature," replied Mark, "Don't ask much more though because it's way too hard to explain

Lyn placed her hand on Mark's shoulder and got his and Sain's attention away from their conversation

"That aside fantastic work you two," Lyn addressed Kent and Sain

"Thank you," said Kent politely to prevent Sain from trying something foolish again

"You two are actually pretty good at combat so long as you're careful," Mark noted, "I take back what I said about you guys' military prowess falling"

"What?," asked Sain

"Nothing…," said Mark

"And now you two were going to share your story with me?," Lyn asked Kent and Sain ignoring Mark's previous comment

"Yes. We have ventured from the province of Caelin in Lycia in search of someone," answered Kent

"Lycia…that's the country beyond the mountains to the southwest of here correct?," asked Lyn

"Correct," answered Kent while Sain nodded a confirmation, "We've come as messengers for the Lady Madelyn who eloped with a nomad 19 years ago by the name of Hassar who was the son of the chieftain of the Lorca tribe at the time"

"Madelyn? Hassar?," asked Lyn

"Our lord, the Marquess of Caelin's only daughter and her husband," continued Kent, "When he found they had fled he was heartbroken his own daughter would abandon him so and sent a knight after them who reported he had failed. Eventually he simply declared he had no daughter"

"And unwittingly reinforced the common negative stereotypes between the citizens of Sacae and Lycia," added Mark

"Then earlier this year we received a letter from lady Madelyn," added Sain, "It said that she, her husband, and their daughter were living happily among the Sacae plains. The marquess was ecstatic to learn that he had a granddaughter of 18 years and, for once, his serious expression yielded a smile when he announced that he'd suddenly become a grandfather. His granddaughter's name was Lyndis which was also the name of the marquess' wife who had passed away at an early age while giving birth"

"Lyndis?," asked Lyn

"That she should bear this name just melted his heart and now he wishes to meet his daughter's family at least once…," continued Sain, "That's why we're here"

"Well…I'd hate to break it to you but you're a bit late," sighed Mark, "The whole Lorca tribe except Lyn here is dead from a massive surprise attack by a clan of bandits"

"So we heard…we didn't learn that Madelyn had died a few days after sending her letter until we arrived in Bulgar and heard the rumors," said Sain sadly

"But we also learned all was not lost. Her daughter lived," added Kent, "We learned that she had been living alone on the plains and as soon as I saw you, I knew you were the Lady Lyndis"

"Why would you think that?," asked Lyn, "How could you randomly pick me out from a whole crowd of civilians?"

"The resemblance to your mother is just remarkable," answered Kent, "I never had the honor to meet her in person but I saw portraits of her in the hallways of the castle before they were taken down and again when they were re-hung"

"I think if you looked at a picture of your mother when she was around your age you could easily figure that out," said Mark getting the attention of the others, "Even if not someone could pretty easily deduce that you weren't a full-blood Sacaen. Full-blooded Sacaens don't have azure eyes for one or your lips either. Additionally, if someone met your mother they could also see that she was clearly not Sacaen either"

"You said you knew my mother from when she and my father picked you up while I was away," noticed Lyn, "How did you figure out she was my grandfather's daughter?"

"Well, I'd heard the rumors anyway and if you'd believe it, I caught a good look of those portraits during my travels as well perfectly preserved in Castle Caelin's cellar while I was pilfering food about…2 or 3 years ago I believe about 6 months after I met Madelyn and Hassar. Even further proof was that those portraits had the name 'Madelyn' engraved on them in cursive lettering and some of them, for when she was in about her early twenties just prior to her leaving the castle, basically looked like you except with brown hair and maybe a bit more physically mature…," answered Mark although, knowing Lyn's hatred for thieves and bandits along with the general knowledge to not comment on a woman's appearance unless it was positive or you were planning to get beaten to a pulp, made sure to back up a bit before he continued

"Continue," prodded Lyn after noticing Mark back up, "I don't like criminals but that seems a bit out of necessity"

"It looked to me like they were pretty valuable to the Marquess anyway which would definitely explain the reason why a bunch of really big guys showed up from nowhere to beat me up and throw me out when one of the servants came down and saw me," continued Mark thankful he wasn't going to be pulverized and that Lyn was more fascinated by the story instead, "You usually don't assign that much security for a few sacks of bread unless there's some food shortage and the last I checked, there wasn't. That and from what I heard of her screaming, she sounded more like she'd seen an assassin rather than a simple thief scrounging for food and the next day I found a bounty poster of myself with the charges of 'attempted theft and fencing of royal documents to foreign countries and provinces' and well…those were the closest things to parchment I saw in my few minutes there while filling my mouth"

"That was you?," asked Sain

"Yes…and since then I didn't return to Caelin…why?," asked Mark

"Oh nothing it's just that the poor lady was scared out of her wits and I thought to find whoever had frightened her so thinking him to be some death knight after seeing bounty was worth well over 100,000 gold coins," said Sain proudly before sighing, "But I suppose not so never mind. You look much less intimidating than that little drawing"

"So that aside I'm guessing that they were re-hung soon after since you've seen them in the hallways," concluded Mark, "But I guess the bounty is still up if you'd heard of it eh?"

"Yes the portraits were re-hung about 6 months ago a few weeks prior to Sain and I's quest and from memory I noticed the resemblance the Madelyn's portraits to Lady Lyndis" confirmed Kent, "Unfortunately…we did not receive word from Marquess Caelin about whether he learned of the death of his daughter nor have we received word from Caelin since then and only learned of her death ourselves a few days ago. We are not even sure if our quest is still active and that we are merely absent without leave"

"And also the bounty is still up…sorry to say…," apologized Sain

"That's fine Sain…I guess I'll have to just…avoid Caelin for a few more years or find a way to clear my name," sighed Mark, "Well Lyn I suppose that now you know your heritage, what do you say?"

Lyn thought for a moment before she made her answer

"To the rest of my tribe I was always Lyn," said Lyn, "But when I was with my parents, just the 3 of us, I was Lyndis. Personally I find it all a bit strange, I was all alone in the world and now I suddenly have a grandfather. I never thought I would hear someone call me Lyndis ever again"

For a moment Mark, Kent and Sain remained silent. Despite them all having different emotions, they all knew that this was very important to Lyn personally and chose not to interrupt. Suddenly Lyn gasped

"Wait! That bandit!," gasped Lyn

"What of him?," asked Sain pointing out Zugu's dead corpse

"He called me Lyndis too!"

"What? How could he have-" stuttered Kent quite confused

"…He was a henchman of Lord Lundgren wasn't he?," suggested Sain

"I wouldn't be surprised, the man degenerated into a sociopath the last time I saw him," said Mark, "They even reflected his personality"

"Lundgren? Who's that?," asked Lyn

"He is the marquess' younger brother and therefore your granduncle," explained Kent, "Everyone assumed that Lady Madelyn was gone forever therefore making Lundgren the heir to the marquess' title"

"To put it bluntly: Since you are now confirmed to be alive, your very existence is a threat to Lundgren's rise to the throne," stated Sain simply, "Whether you like it or not, you are now your grandfather's rightful heir and not Lundgren"

"But…I have no interest in inheriting any title!," protested Lyn, "Why try and kill me like this?"

"Unfortunately for you…Lundgren is not the kind of man to believe something like that," said Sain, "I'd imagine he will attempt to take your life again sometime"

"What should I do?," asked Lyn

"Accompany us to Caelin. Continuing on this way is dangerous all alone," Kent half suggested and half commanded

"I suppose I have little choice so I suppose I'll go with you," said Lyn before turning to Mark, "Sorry Mark I guess this changes everything…"

"That's fine, like I said I already guessed who you were anyway but I supposed it wasn't my place to tell you," said Mark shrugging, "Even if I did, I doubt that you would believe me, especially since you hadn't met me face to face before and since any intelligent person could gather details in a believable manner"

"True to that," said Lyn chuckling a bit before regaining her seriousness, "So what will you do Mark?"

"I'll let you decide that," said Mark surprising Lyn already guessing what she would say

"You want me to decide?," asked Lyn, "Why?"

"Well, technically I still owe you since you never declared we were 'even'," said Mark, "That and I know what you're planning and it's your choice if you want me to still hang around"

"Well…of course your companionship would make this much easier since I've had a few days to talk to you…but it's going to be dangerous," warned Lyn

"Hey it's not like I'm some child making noise but staying clueless," said Mark, "Nevertheless, if you would approve of it; I'd like to come also"

"Really you would?," asked Lyn, "You really don't owe me anything-"

"Even if you weren't the princess of Caelin and you and your parents hadn't helped me on separate occasions, it would still be cruel to keep a long-separated family apart any longer," said Mark, "You're a good person and you've lost the closest members of your family, you deserve to be able to at least meet the others who love you, not to wander around aimlessly alone with no one to support you"

"So then you'll come also?," asked Lyn who was delighted when Mark nodded his head, "Thank you! Let me ask once again for your friendship and aid"

"No problem," said Mark before addressing the group as a whole, "Scavenge what we need from the bodies and burn them medical supplies, food, whatever. We're moving out immediately after we're done here"

* * *

A/N: Second chapter is up and I hope I improved it over the last one. Once again: Constructive comments are appreciated and flames/trolls are not and updates may be random.

Up Next is: Sword Of Spirits for those who remember, you can guess what this is going to be about


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